The University's governing body, the Board of Trustees, may have three new members in addition to six returning trustees if approved by the state senate.
All six trustees eligible for reappointment were selected to serve on the Board for seven more years. Three new trustees, Ben Thomas "B.T." Roberts of Mobile, James "Jimmy" Hopson Sanford of Prattville and Elizabeth Huntley of Clanton were selected to represent districts 1, 4 and 6, respectively.
The Process
The trustee appointment committee consists of Gov. Robert Bentley; current Board members John Blackwell, District 8, and Raymond Harbert, at-large; and Alumni Association members Bobby Poundstone, Nancy Fortner and Howard Nelson.
Fortner and Nelson rotated in and out of the voting process because of the large number of applicants, said Brian Keeter, director of public affairs.
Poundstone, president of the alumni association, said the appointment committee reviewed the materials submitted by each of the 195 applicants, but did not conduct interviews.
Poundstone said the 2003 amendment to the state constitution is the only guideline the committee has for selecting trustees.
Each time the committee convenes, there is a different process, Poundstone said.
"I feel very strongly that one thing we do need in moving forward--we need to come up with some guidelines for consistency in the way that we handle the nomination process," Poundstone said.
The constitutional amendment has only three requirements in selecting trustees.
The nominee must be under the age of 70.
The nominee must reside in the district he or she represents or must be a U.S. citizen if an at-large trustee.
The nominee must not be an employee of the University.
Keeter said Trustees do not receive any monetary compensation for their service.
Poundstone said monetary contributions are not an official factor in selection, but contributions do show dedication to the University.
"It doesn't hurt," Poundstone said. "Obviously, it's one of the things that you can look at and see if someone is committed toward Auburn's betterment, and part of that equation is, 'Have they supported Auburn financially?'
But it's certainly not the sole factor for me--I look at the big picture."
Prior to 2003, trustees were appointed by the governor and served 12-year terms. The 2003 amendment states trustees can serve two 7-year terms.
However, the amendment allows a trustee like Bobby Lowder, who was first appointed by Gov. George Wallace 28 years ago in 1983 to finish his current term and be eligible for reappointment.
Bobby Lowder
Some have questioned the reappointment of Lowder, who was called "a lightning rod" for controversy in a 2006 third-party University evaluation.
"Our investigations suggest this Board member did overstep his appropriate Trustee role on multiple occasions in the past and that he permitted and even encouraged the notion that he was the power behind the scenes at Auburn," the report stated. "Perceptions persist that Mr. Lowder 'has a financial hold over other Trustees' and even over some members of the University's staff."
However, the report also noted Lowder had shown improvement and that no reports of micromanagement or inappropriate behavior had been reported during the yearlong evaluation.
"While certain of Mr. Lowder's actions over time can and should be criticized, it is also true that he has become a convenient scapegoat for any and all of Auburn's problems and shortcomings," the report said.
Lowder was approved 3-2 to represent District 3: Lee County. Poundstone and Fortner voted against his reappointment.
According to campaign documents obtained online through the secretary of state, Lowder's wife Charlotte donated $25,000 to Bentley's gubernatorial campaign Sept. 21, 2010.
Bentley's press secretary told the Associated Press the donation had nothing to do with Bentley's vote to reappoint Lowder.
Poundstone said he did not vote for Lowder because of any controversy or personal dislike, but instead voted for Michael Williams, a minority candidate who he thought had qualities that would serve the board well.
"My vote was really about looking at the nominees and seeing what the board needed as far as diversity and finding the best candidates that would help the board in the broad spectrum," Poundstone said.
The length of Lowder's service was also a concern, he said.
"The main consideration for me was I think, regardless of how you feel about his contributions, I did feel like that there was a sort of consensus that other people should have an opportunity to serve," Poundstone said. "That was the main thing for me. He'll do a fine job and serve Auburn in a meaningful way like he has--just for my particular vote, it was mainly the length of service that I thought it may be time to give somebody else a shot."
New Trustees
If approved, three new nominees will join the six returning trustees. Roberts will serve District 1. Roberts graduated from Auburn in 1972 and is president of Roberts Brothers Commercial and Property Management, Inc., Realtors. He is also Alumni Association chairman of scholarship development and serves on several University committees.
Samford, who will represent District 4, graduated from Auburn in 1968 and is director of Alabama Power Company. He is also involved with the colleges of agriculture and veterinary medicine.
Huntley, who will serve District 6, is a 1993 graduate of Auburn and received a law degree from the University of Alabama in 1997.
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